Texas Fishing Forum

DFW Hydrilla lakes

Posted By: Garett

DFW Hydrilla lakes - 05/12/20 04:05 PM

If you are wanting to fish hydrilla, what is your lake of choice in north Texas? My go-to is usually Athens, but curious where everyone else goes
Posted By: Chris G

Re: DFW Hydrilla lakes - 05/12/20 04:12 PM

There isn't a lake that I know of that has more hydrilla per acre than Welsh. It's actually too much grass. There's areas if forms a "carpet" 10' off the bottom. Never thought I'd say I would like a reduction in grass in a lake but that would be one where it could help the fishing or at least access to the bigger fish.
Posted By: RedRanger

Re: DFW Hydrilla lakes - 05/12/20 04:18 PM

DFW? or North Texas?

None I know of in D/FW
Posted By: SkeeterRonnie

Re: DFW Hydrilla lakes - 05/12/20 04:21 PM

Originally Posted by Chris G
There isn't a lake that I know of that has more hydrilla per acre than Welsh. It's actually too much grass. There's areas if forms a "carpet" 10' off the bottom. Never thought I'd say I would like a reduction in grass in a lake but that would be one where it could help the fishing or at least access to the bigger fish.


maybe we can start transplanting some of it into Cypress roflmao "hypothetically speaking" of course. Just sounds like a good idea. I would never think of such a thing...… roflmao
Posted By: Chris G

Re: DFW Hydrilla lakes - 05/12/20 04:25 PM

hahahaha!! I talked to Tim Bister about such a hypothetical thing just last week. I was scolded just a little. He's convinced it eventually comes back as the grass carp continue to die off but we shall see.
Posted By: 5-20

Re: DFW Hydrilla lakes - 05/12/20 04:27 PM

Don’t post this info on a public forum. You know TPWD has a bunch of stock tanks full of 12”-16” grass carp and they’re ready to go to work!
Posted By: Chris G

Re: DFW Hydrilla lakes - 05/12/20 04:32 PM

To be honest, I have had numerous conversations with TPWD Biologists about this and they have actually taken a different stance on this than you might think. The ones I have talked to recognize the err of their ways with how the carp were deployed in the past and I don't see that being done the same way again for any lake. Depending on the lake, if hydrilla becomes a "problem" which means choking out access to boat houses, etc, their first option will be to spot treat with herbicides then if that didn't work, they would deploy carp but no where near the numbers they did in the past. That's just my opinion from the conversations I've had. So there's nothing to hide from a public forum.

And yes they have them because I just filed a permit to buy some carp to help reduce, not eradicate, some bushy pond weed from one of the ponds on our ranch. It's so thick it makes the pond un-fishable in many places.
Posted By: tricky

Re: DFW Hydrilla lakes - 05/12/20 08:01 PM

Milfoil in Roberts is coming back nicely
Posted By: metalruch1

Re: DFW Hydrilla lakes - 05/12/20 08:12 PM

Originally Posted by tricky
Milfoil in Roberts is coming back nicely


I'm really liking the way Ray Roberts is looking right now!
Posted By: Greg W

Re: DFW Hydrilla lakes - 05/12/20 09:44 PM

a month ago Welsh was so thick you couldn't even fish the north end. haven't been out there since. Too bad you can't just say "grass stop" when it gets within a foot of the top.
Posted By: Dtechman

Re: DFW Hydrilla lakes - 05/13/20 01:03 AM

I went to welsh this weekend. North end was choked out other than the boat lane and I found hydrilla out to 20ft in some places south. I really have no clue how to fish that. I tried punching, frogging, fluke and topwater around the edges with no luck. My guess is I should have been drop shoting out deeper after the morning bite because the water was 85-87 degrees already. I’d love tips from someone who fishes this time of year into summer because I know it holds tons of quality fish.
Posted By: Donald Harper

Re: DFW Hydrilla lakes - 05/13/20 01:32 AM

Originally Posted by Dtechman
I went to welsh this weekend. North end was choked out other than the boat lane and I found hydrilla out to 20ft in some places south. I really have no clue how to fish that. I tried punching, frogging, fluke and topwater around the edges with no luck. My guess is I should have been drop shoting out deeper after the morning bite because the water was 85-87 degrees already. I’d love tips from someone who fishes this time of year into summer because I know it holds tons of quality fish.


This is the rig and technique that I used on Amistad's deep grass all those years.

It is coming to that time of year where the lakes that produce this deep grass will be showing their full potential. Grass comes and goes in Texas with water fluctuation and the degree of the severity of our Winter months. We had one of the mildest Winters this year and the water levels are stable. I am expecting to see our grass lakes producing those deep contour runs of Hydrilla. Big bass love that deep grass. It takes clear water for light penetration and a past history of grass. Lakes like Amistad, Rayburn and Toledo Bend are just three that come to mind with such a history. If you are planning a trip for a few days and want to experience something different then begin your research. It will be the most fun trip you will ever take. Keep in mind that there are some small jewels of a lake out there; so make some calls to fisherman that are in the know to pick one that will fit your schedule and travel time.

Finding Deep Grass
The starting point is always structure related and on contour. You have to have an irregular feature to meet your grass, and that's where the bass are going to be. For bass to be congregated it is a big PLUS to have a point or a creek channel bend. There has to be something different. There will be miles of vegetation that looks the same, but you need to find the little key spots like depth changes or drops.
- A cut, point, pocket or other irregular feature along the edge of a well-defined grass line.
- Channels and ditches that have grass growing right down the middle. The next ones you go to may only have it growing on the sides of these structures as sediment in them just does not support the growth.
- Look for vegetation beneath the surface. If you are seeing matted grass on the surface it may not have the depth needed or the structure to hold big fish.
- Look for spots void of growth, with small breaks in the grass bed run. This is an indication of larger hard rock that produces pods of grass which huge Bass love.
- Points grow a distinctive Horseshoe shape in the grass line out and around bottom contour.
- Funnels formed by the bare bottoms of creek channels or other depressions where submerged hydrilla or milfoil actually hanging over the edge of the ditch bank forming a canape.
- A creek or river channel making a bend against the grass, which is the ultimate combination of cover and structure. 
- Get next to the deepest water you can find with this deep grass on top.

It is a challenge because you have to rely on your electronics a lot more to find the points and pockets that have the deep grass beds. When you find that one special spot, just a small grass bed in deep water can hold some big fish. Stay glued to the contour map so you can turn into these small depressions that only have one or two feet of irregular depression which produces that notch in the grass line. It is not always clearly defined on your depth finder. Straight lines where the grass stops are the easiest to find and follow. This is not always the best spot, what you're looking for is that irregular edge, where the grass is thinner and not a solid wall. The Bass seem to stage there better where it is scattered and broken. You will find those smaller clumps producing as they come out to feed in the open areas between the thickest grass. 

Heavy Drop Shot
This will help you get that huge fish you have been looking for. Nothing will beat it. It works everywhere, even in shallow mat but best on the deepest grass you can find. They will be grouped up under the hollow. If the wind is blowing you can get in there on the upwind side; put the trolling motor up and big motor up and walk the boat across the mat by rocking the boat from side to side letting the wind drift you across. In the heat of the day they are burred up in the grass. 

Rig a heavy drop shot rig:
5.0 heavy super line hook. Tied on 50# braid. Use a Palomar knot. Leave the tag end at 5 inches long. Tie a 1 oz. weight to the tag end. I just tie a knot in the end of the tag, then use an overhand slip knot to attach the weight. It doesn't take much to keep it on. When I am fishing grass with hardwoods and it gets hung on the wood I can pull the weight off and come out with the hook and fish. The hook is about 4 to 5 inches above the weight, so the tails of the bait will hang down and cover the weight.
Use a Gene Lawrue Hoo Daddy Jr. in Watermelon Neon. This is not Watermelon/Red although they look almost the same; but it makes a great difference.

It will drop in the grass and come out of the grass with no hang-ups. Fish vertical to slightly in front of the boat. Directly over the bait is best on the deepest grass. Drop it in slowly and soft so it is traveling slowly when it touches the bottom. The Bass hate anything sneaking in on them. Hold it there with a tight line for about 5 seconds without any movement. They don't want it bouncing up and down. This gives them time to swim through the hollow under the grass and nail the bait. Fish a vertical presentation and moving along the outer edge of the grass line, making pitches out in front of the boat so by the time it gets to the bottom you are directly over the bait for the hook set.
HAVE FUN!! [Linked Image]

Posted By: BNKrust

Re: DFW Hydrilla lakes - 05/13/20 06:21 AM

I long for the days when Joe Pool had hydrilla. It was an amazing fishery then, not that it sucks now, but it's never quite been the same.
Posted By: 206champion

Re: DFW Hydrilla lakes - 05/13/20 12:53 PM

Back in the late 70s Cedar Creek has hydrilla all the way around it in a lot of the lake nearly all the way around the fishing was very good then, TPWD killed it and it has never came back I don’t know why you don’t see some come back in a few areas at least.
Posted By: Tx Tree Grower

Re: DFW Hydrilla lakes - 05/13/20 01:34 PM

Originally Posted by 206champion
Back in the late 70s Cedar Creek has hydrilla all the way around it in a lot of the lake nearly all the way around the fishing was very good then, TPWD killed it and it has never came back I don’t know why you don’t see some come back in a few areas at least.


Maybe hydrilla doesn't like growing in a lake that has 300 wake boats per acre and 4ft waves from every direction even on a calm day. That lake is dang near unfishable right now with all the wake boat quarantine traffic. I can't imagine how good Cedar Creek could be with hydrilla in it though. I wish I could have fished that.
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